The present invention relates to hangers which support and display apparel and more particularly to a connector for two hangers which support and display related items of apparel for merchandising purposes.
Apparel manufacturers are always looking for ways to merchandise their products more effectively. One very successful merchandising method has been to coordinate related articles of apparel to provide the consumer with matched sets of apparel articles, such as skirts and pants that are designed to be worn together. In this way, the consumer may more easily select and purchase apparel articles that go together well in terms of style, color, pattern or the like.
In the market, this is currently done by using hangtags with matching indicia, for example, colors, as set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,514,178, issued Apr. 30, 1985, to Noto et al., owned by Garan, Inc., 350 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10118. Other types of matching indicia, such as images of animals on hangtags, labels or on the articles themselves have also been utilized.
Another way to accomplish this is to package related articles of apparel together in a single package or to display the related articles on a set of connected hangers. The present invention relates to an inexpensive plastic connector designed to join hangers which carry related articles of apparel.
Although hanger connectors have been used previously, the present invention is superior to known hanger connectors in several ways. Hangers include an arcuate bar engaging part joined to the apparel supporting part by a neck part. Prior art hanger connectors engage the arcuate part of the supported hanger at only one point. Because the supported hanger is supported at only one point, it is free to sway relative to the supporting hanger.
Further, in prior hanger connectors, the point where the connector engages the supported hanger is on the centerline of the connector. However, the arcuate part of the supporting hanger is situated on the apparel supporting part at a point that is offset from the centerline of the supporting hanger. Thus, when the connector is received over the arcuate part of the supporting hanger, the centerline of the connector is offset from centerline of the supporting hanger. Because the connector supports the supported hanger at a point on the centerline of the connector, and the centerline of the connector is offset from the centerline of the supporting hanger, the weight of the article on the supported hanger tends to tip the supported hanger relative to the supporting hanger.
The connector of the present invention eliminates these problems by engaging the arcuate part of the supported hanger at spaced locations on the connector that are situated in a pattern that corresponds to the curve of the arcuate part of the supported hanger and by supporting the supported hanger in a position in which its centerline aligns with the centerline of the supported hanger. In this way, the connector holds the supported hanger more securely, without permitting movement of the supported hanger relative to the supporting hanger, and the centers of gravity of both hangers are situated along the same line so that hangers do not tip when supporting apparel.
In addition, the arcuate part of many hangers carry a removeable indicia bearing the clip that contains inventory control or other pertinent information. It is important that this information be visible and not obscured by the hanger connector. The connector of the present invention is designed to ensure that the information on the clip is not hidden when the connector is in place on the supporting hanger.
It is, therefore, a prime object of the present invention to provide a hanger connector that engages the supported hanger in a manner which eliminates swaying of one hanger relative to the other.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a hanger connector that engages the supported hanger at spaced points situated in an arcuate pattern to hold the supported hanger more securely.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a hanger connector that engages the supported hanger at a position offset from the centerline of the connector, such that the centerlines of the supported and supporting hangers align.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a hanger connector in which the connector does not obscure the indicia bearing clip mounted on the arcuate part of the supporting hanger.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, apparatus is provided for connecting a first hanger and a second hanger. Each of the hangers includes an arcuate part for engaging a bar and an apparel supporting part. The apparatus comprises a first body portion defining an opening adapted to receive the arcuate part of the first hanger. The apparatus also has a second body portion. First and second means for engaging the arcuate part of the second hanger are mounted on the second body portion in spaced relation.
The first and second engaging means are located on the second body portion in an arcuate pattern. The arcuate pattern corresponds to the shape of the arcuate part of the second hanger.
The first body portion is situated in a first plane. The second body portion is situated in a second plane. The first and second planes meet to form an obtuse angle.
Each of the engaging means on the second body portion includes an engaging part that defines a recess adapted to receive the arcuate part of the second hanger. Each engaging part includes first and second spaced side elements extending from the second body portion. The first and second side elements are preferably substantially parallel to each other. The first side element is preferably wider than the second side element. Each engaging part also includes an element bridging the first and the second side elements, one of which is wider than the other. The bridging element is tapered to accommodate the different widths of the side elements.
The engaging means are mounted at positions which form an arc with a center. The center of the arc is offset from the centerline of the second body portion by a given distance, in one direction. The arcuate part of the first hanger is joined to the apparel supporting part at a point that is offset from the centerline of the first hanger. The center of the arc is offset from the centerline of the second body portion by the given distance, in a direction opposite to the offset of the arcuate part. This compensates for the offset position of the arcuate part of the first hanger and results in the centerlines of the hangers, and hence the centers of gravity of the hangers, being in alignment.
The base of the arcuate part at the point where it joins the supporting part has a given width. The arcuate part receiving opening is at least as wide as the width of the base of the arcuate part.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a first hanger, a second hanger and means for connecting the first hanger and second hanger are provided. Each of the hangers includes an arcuate part for engaging a bar and an apparel supporting part. The connecting means comprises a first body portion defining an opening adapted to receive the arcuate part of the first hanger and a second body portion. First and second spaced means for engaging the arcuate part of the second hanger are provided on the second body portion.
The first body portion is in a first plane. The second body portion is in a second plane. The first and second planes join to form an obtuse angle.
Each of the engaging means defines a recess adapted to receive the arcuate part of the second hanger. Each of the engaging means comprises first and second spaced side elements. The side elements extend from said second body portion. One of the side elements is wider than the other of the side elements.
Each of the engaging means further comprises an element bridging the first and second side elements. The bridging element is preferably tapered to accommodate the different widths of the side elements.
The first and second side elements are preferably substantially parallel to each other. The first and second engaging means are mounted on the second body portion in an arcuate pattern defining an arc with a center that is offset by a given distance, in a given direction, from the centerline of the second body portion. The arcuate part of the first hanger is joined to the apparel supporting part by a neck part at a point that is offset from the centerline of the first hanger by the given distance, in a direction opposite to the given direction.
The base of the arcuate part has a given width. The arcuate part receiving opening on the first body portion is at least as wide as the given width.